Valve mechanism for blowing-engines and compressors.



PATENTED DEC. 3

M A. NEELAND. VALVE MECHANISM FOR BLOWING ENGINES AND GOMPRIEISSORS APPLICATION FILED 00124. 1901.

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PATENTBD DEC. 3, 1907,

M. A. NEELAND. VALVE MECHANISM FOR BLOWING ENGINES AND GOMPRESSORS.

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MARVIN A. NEELAND, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR BLOWING-ENGINES AND GOMPRESSORS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARVIN A. NEELAND, of Youngstown, Mahoning county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Valve Mechanism for Blowing-Engines and Compressors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation, partly broken away, showing a blowing engine provided with my improved valve system; Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views showing the positions of the parts of the valve mechanism at diiferent points in the stroke; Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the mechanism for automatically varying the point of opening the valve for inlet and discharge; and Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of the automatic mechanism of Fig. 6.

My invention relates to the valves and valve mechanism of blowing engines and air compressors, and is designed to do away with part of the valves, reduce the .clearance space, and cheapen and improve the construction.

The invention consists in providing the cylinder with ports which, during the suction stroke, are in communication with the open air, while in the latter part of the compression stroke they are connected by means of a reciprocating valve with a stationary set of ports connected to the wind-box.

It further consists in a single reciprocating valve which acts as an inlet and outlet valve and moves over two sets of ports, one arranged to communicate withthe open air, during the inlet, the valve connecting this set with the other set during the outlet, both sets of ports being in fixed elements.

It further consists inproviding a set of elliptical gearing which revolve on their foci, so as to give the pro er movements to the valves at both ends 0 the cylinder and further in the means for automatically varying the point at which the valve opens during the compression stroke, and also the time for opening for the inlet stroke; and also in the other features and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, 2 represents the engine crankshaft whose crank is connected to the piston 3 of the blowing cylinder 4 by nut 5 or other suitable connection. This piston is of peculiar construction, being of general Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 24:. 1901. $eria1 N 79,754.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

l conical form in its body, and having an outer ring 6 in the form of a short cylinder fitting within the cylinder. The u per head 7 of the blowing cylinder is also of conical form in its central portion, the outer portion 8 being cylindrical and containin an annular series of ports 9. The ring 8 1s of less diameter than the cylinder, thus leaving an annular space within which the upper half of the piston fits neatly, as shown in Fig. 1.

The combined inlet and outlet valve 10 consists of a hollow annulus or ring having packings 11 near its edge, and an intermediate packing 12. The lower portion of the ring between the intermediate and lower packing rings fits neatly within the outer part of the head and closes the ports 9 when in the position shown in Fig. 1. The upper part of this valve is provided with an annular recess or channel 13, extending around it and serving to connect the orts 9 with an annular series of ports 1 1, w en the valve is in its inner position during the latter part of the compressing stroke. The ports 14 lead through the outer part of the upper head into an annular chamber connected to the air reservoir. The lower head and valve .of the blowing engine are exactly similar to the u perhead, except that the cone-shaped portion of the head extends into the cylinder in the same direction as the upper head.

As a single valve is used in each head of the blowing cylinder, each of these valves must open at the end of a stroke and remain open through the inlet stroke and close at the other end of this stroke. It must remain closed on the return or compression stroke during the period of compression, put the ports into communication with the wind box when the proper pressure is obtained, and close the ports at the end of the outlet stroke. These conditions are difficult to fulfil on a single valve, and while I do not limit myself in the broader claims to the particular mechanism which I show for, iving such movements, I intend to cover suci mechanism which I consider es ecially valuable for this purpose, and by whic the varying velocity ratios necessary for the movements are obtained. At one side of the cylinder I mount a short shaft 15 carrying a bevel gear 16, and an elliptical gear 17. The bevel gear wheel 16 intermeshes with a similar bevel gear-wheel 18 mounted upon a vertical shaft 19, having bevel gear connection 20 with the crank shaft on the engine. The elliptical gear wheel 17 intermeshes with elliptical gears 21 and 22 above and below it, the latter gears being mounted on shafts 23 carrying cranks 24 Which are connected to rock shafts 27 re spectively through link connection 25, and rock arm 26, the rock shaft 27 is connected to %he valve through the arm 26 and link 25 of The central elliptical gear revolves with a umform velocity ratio coincident with that of the engine crank-shaft from which it is actuated; the other two elliptical gears drive the valves at the ends of the cylinder with a variable velocity, due to the constantly varymg radii of the engaging gears. To illustrate clearly the relative position of the parts, I have indicated upon the central gear the positlon of the engine crank, by the line a, b.

In Fig. 1 the engine crank is at the top center with the piston at the upper end of its stroke and the upper valve just closing the discharge. In Fig. 2 the crank is shown as revolved through a small angle sufficient to move the upper valve into position where it is ust about to open the ports for inlet. The amount of this angle through which the crank moves before the inlet ports are opened, can be adjusted so as to move the piston to such a point in its stroke that the air under pressure in the clearance spaceswill expand to atmospheric pressure before the inlet valve opens, which is of advantage in operating blowing engines. Through this part of the stroke a comparatively small movement of the piston moves the valve a considerable distance y reason of the largest radius of the driving gear acting upon the shortest radius of the driven gear, and this gives the further advantage of a quick opening for the inlet valve to prevent wire-drawing. In Fig. 3 the crank is shown in mid-stroke, the valve being in inlet position with ports wide open. In Fig. 4 the crank is shown on the bottom center with the inlet valve just closing the inlet ports at the lower end of the down-stroke of the plston. from the time when the parts are in the positlon shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5 Where the outlet valve is just opening and the crank is in mid-stroke. The outlet valve is then held open through the remainder of the stroke and closing at the end of the stroke, as shown in Fig. 1.

I will now refer to the means for adjusting the period of compression.

The pm which connects rod 25 to crank 24 is adjustable in a slot in said crank, which slot extends in the line C, D of Fig. 1. By adjusting this pin along the slot I change the angle of the valve crank 24 26 relatively to the engine crank, and I thereby varythe point at which the outlet valve opens without appreciably changing the conditionslof The period of compression extends.

closing the inlet and outlet ports at the ends of the stroke; this change in the period of compression will change the time of opening the inlet, and will cause it to open later where greater compression is given and earlier where less compression is afforded. This is a desirable feature, since the greater the pressure of the air remaining in the clearance space, the greater distance the piston must travel to allow this air to expand to atmospheric pressure before opening the inlet.

The pin may be adjusted by a h and screw if desired, but I prefer to move it automatically within the slot and thus automatically vary the opening of the valve according to the pressure yand for this purpose I provide a small single-acting cylinder 28 having fluid supply 29 in constant connection with the air reservoir, and acting in opposition to a spring 30 bearing upon the opposite side of the piston. The piston-rod 31 of this cylinder is connected throughslideblock 32 to a rock lever 33 acting upon a sleeve 34 arranged to slide upon the shaft 23. The pin in crank 24 is mounted in a slide 35, having link connection 36 to the sliding sleeve. As the pressure rises in the wind-box the piston will move and through the connections above recited will move the pin along the slot in its driving crank, and thus automatically vary the points of opening the valve. To prevent the weight of the valve from moving the pin in crank 24 when the gears are in certain positions, I'provide the curved slot 37 in block 32 in which moves a pin on the lever 33. This mechanism for adjusting the points of opening may or may not be used, as desired, and I do not limit my broader claims thereto, though I consider it a valuable feature.

The advantages of my'invention flow from the use of a reciprocating valve controlling a single set of ports which is put into communication alternately with the open air and with the wind box, thus reducing the clearance space; second, from the single valve which acts both as inlet and outlet valve, thus reducing the number of valves; third, from the mechanism for giving the single valve the desired movements; and further from providing means for adjusting the period of compression and from operating said means automatically.

The construction is simple and may be cheaply made, the parts are few in number and are not liable to get out of order, and the action is economical and efficient.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the cylinder, the valves, and valve operating mechanism, without departing from my invention.

I claim:

1. In a blowing engine, a blowing cylinder having annular inlet and outlet ports in the same end of the cylinder, and an annular valve located concentrically within the cylinder head and common to said ports, the valve being movable axially to control the ports, substantially as described.

2. In a blowing engine, a blowing cylinder having annular inlet and outlet ports in the same end of the cylinder, and an annular valve located concentrically within the cylinder head and common to the ports, the valve being movable axially to control the ports and having an annular recess arranged to connect the inlet and outlet ports during part of the compression stroke, substantially as described.

3. In a blowing engine, a cylinder having inlet and outlet ports at its ends, valves for said ports,- and meshed elliptical gears joure naled eccentrically and connected to said,

valves; substantially as described.

4. In a blowing engine or compressor, a cylinder having inlet and outlet ports at each end, a valve ateach end of the cylinder ar ranged to control both sets of ports, and gearing connections arranged to vary the relative velocity of said valves between inlet and out let strokes; substantially as described.

5. In a blowing engine or compressor, a cylinder having inlet and outlet ports at each end, a valve at each end of the cylinder arranged to control both sets of ports, gearing connections arranged to vary the relative velocity of said valves between inlet and outlet strokes, and means for varying the point in the stroke at which the valves uncover the ports; substantially as described.

6. In a blowing engine or compressor, a cylinder having inlet and outlet ports at each end, a valve at each end of the cylinder arranged to control both sets of ports, and gearing connections arranged to cause greater initial velocity of said valves at the inlet stroke than at the outlet stroke; substantially as described.

7. In a blowing engine or compressor, a cylinder having inlet and outlet ports at each end, a valve at each end of the cylinder arranged to control both sets of ports, and gearing connections arranged to cause greater initial velocity of said valves at the inlet stroke than at the outlet stroke, and to close said valves at the end of each stroke; substantially as described.

8. A compression cylinder having end heads and a reciprocatory piston, one of said heads having annular ports arranged to communicate with the open air during the inlet stroke, and a valve reciprocating in said cylinder-head concentric therewith and arranged to close said ports at the end of the inlet stroke and connect them with stationary ports leading to the wind box during the latter part of the compression stroke; substantially as described. 1

9. A blowing engine or compressor cylinder having annular ports arranged to communicate with the open air during the inlet stroke, a valve concentric with the cylinder and arranged to reciprocate longitudinally of the axis of the cylinder, and actuating connections arranged to move the valve to close said ports during the major portion of the outlet stroke and to put said ports into communication with the wind box during the latter part only of the outlet stroke, and to close said ports at the end of each stroke; substantially as described.

.10. A blowing engine or compressing cylinder having annular ports arranged to communicate with the open air during the inlet stroke, a wind box, a reciprocating annular valve concentric with the cylinder and having an annular channel arranged to connect the cylinder ports with the wind box during the latter part only of the compressing stroke, and connections arranged to move the valve to close the ports to the wind box during the major part of the compressing stroke, and to close said ports at the end of each stroke, substantially as described.

11. A blowing engine or compressor cylinder having annular ports leading to the open air and'annular ports leading to the windbox, an annular valve concentric within said cylinder and arranged to control both sets of ports, and actuating connections arranged to move the valve axially to close the connection to the wind-box during the major part of the outlet stroke, and connect the two sets of ports during the latter part only of the outlet stroke, and to close said ports at the end of each stroke; substantially as described.

12. A compressing cylinder having an inwardly projecting head with an annular space between it and the cylinder, ports arranged to connect said annular space with the open air, and a valve movable in the head and arranged to close said ports, and to connect them with the wind-box in the compression stroke; substantially as described.

13. A compressing cylinder having an inwardly projecting head with an annular space or groove therein, ports arranged to connect said annular space with the open air, a valve movable in the head and arranged to close said ports, and to connect them with the wind-box in the compressing stroke, and a projection on the piston arranged to enter the annular space; substantially as described.

14. A compression cylinder having a piston reciprocating therein, ports leading through the head of the cylinder, and an annular valve concentric with the cylinder and movable in the cylinder head, said valve being movable over the ports in the head and over ports leading to the wind-box; substantially as described.

15. A compressing cylinder having an inwardly projecting head with an annular space between it and the cylinder walls, a piston having a projecting portion arranged to enter said annular space, ports leading from said space through the head to the open air, an annular valve arranged to control said ports, said valve having channels arranged to connect said ports with the windbox, and mechanism for positively moving said valve; substantially as described.

16. A blowing engine having an inlet and outlet valve, mechanism for actuating said valve, including a pair of intermeshing elliptical gears j ournaled eccentrically, and pressure mechanism controlled by the receiver pressure and having connections arranged to vary the time of opening the outlet valve; substantially as described.

17. In a blowing engine, a cylinder having outlet valves at each end, means for actuating said valves, and means for varying the relative velocity of said valves; substantially as described.

18. A compressing cylinder having inlet and outlet ports at its end, a common valve arranged to control said ports, and a pair of intermeshing elliptical gears journaled eccentrically and arranged to actuate said valve; substantially as described.

19. A compressing cylinder having at each end a single valve arranged to control both inlet and outlet ports at said end, and mechanism for actuating said valves, including intermeshing elliptical gears arranged to open the inlet ports during the inlet stroke, and then close them, and to open the 'outlet ports at an intermediate point in the outlet stroke of the piston; substantially as described.

20. In a blowing engine, a blowing cylinder having annular inlet and outlet ports in the same end of the cylinder, and an annular valve located concentrically within the cylinder head and common to said ports, the valve being movable axially to control the ports and provided with an annular channel arranged to connect the two sets of annular ports during part of the outlet stroke,

substantially as described.

21. A compressing cylinder having a valve, and a crank having actuating connections therewith, said connections including a slotted element with a pin movable in said slot, and automatic mechanism for varying the position of the pin, said mechanism being controlled by the pressure in the receiver substantially as described.

22. Acompressing cylinder having a valve, and a crank having actuating connections therewith, said connections including a slotted element with a pin movable in said slot, automatic mechanism for varying the position of the pin, said mechanism being controlled by the pressure in the receiver, and means for preventing movement of the pin except by said mechanism; substantially as described.

23. A compressing cylinder having avalve, and a crank having actuating connections therewith, said connections including a slotted element with a pin movable in said slot, and automatic mechanism for varying the position of the pin, said mechanism being controlled by the pressure in the receiver and including a curved slotted member; substantially as described.

24. A blowing engine or compressor having an annular series of ports leading to the open air, and an independent annular series of ports leading to the wind box, and a reciprocatory balanced valve arranged to connect said ports in the compression stroke; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

MARVIN A. NEELAND.

l/Vitnesses:

H. M. CoRwIN, L. M. REDMAN. 

